Queer youth theatre group in Boston uses own love stories to perform onstage campus, captured in new doc-film "The Year We Thought About Love"

Movie review by Oliver Carnay

I have not seen very many documentary films that deals with teen LGBTQ being brave to come out and using their own love stories, perform onstage in their own campus. In Director Ellen Brodsky’s new doc-feature “The Year We Thought About Love,” which recently had its World Premiere at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival, this 68 minute gem captures the powerful work of a Boston LGBTQ artists theatre group, named True Colors: OUT Youth Theater.

There where sixteen youths comprise of gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, queer, write and perform mini-skits about love, based on their own experiences . Ranging from 14 to 22 years-old members, among the notorious ones -- a transgender teenager kicked out of her house, a devout Christian challenging his church’s homophobia, and a girl who prefers to wear boys’ clothing even as she models dresses on the runway.

The produced stage performances are stories of first love, unconditional love, as well as heartbreaks. With wit, grace, and attitude, these diverse troupe of LGBTQ youth transforms their personal struggles into theater for social change—starting with a simple and surprising kiss in the first act.

Director Ellen Brodsky, who used to have a background in acting has been been behind this project. Her brother-in-law runs the theatre and for nine months, her crew followed the students. She had 200 hours footage of interesting and unique group of kids with intricate backgrounds and personalities and it is a matter of which of those character stories with arcs she needs to put in.

I hope to see this film in future queer film festivals such as the Framelilne in SFO, the Outfest in L.A., and the OutFilm San Diego.